Has anyone one else on here snapped there achilles?

Snapped mine and have just got home today after op..
Gutted is not the word for it ;-( ;-( ;-(

Had already entered merida’s, welsh weekend and mayhem…. and the bike running like a dream

Any tips for recovery, exercises etc…

Cheers stu ;-/

Yeah – do the stuff that the physio tells you to do.

Yeah, I did it a few years ago. Absolute nightmare as it takes about 9 months to “recover”. Plaster cast for about 10 weeks then 2 weeks in a special boot. Then lots of hydrotherapy then physio. The only consolation for me was the nurses at my local hospital 🙂

Don’t rush it as it may snap again which is what happened to a mate of mine.

How did you do it? Squash?

Can I be the first to say

Sheeeeaaat.
Condolences 🙁
That’s something I fear. I have damaged one quite badly but never snapped.
How did you do it?

mudslinger how did you guess… ya squash and the season has just end ready for endurance races!!

Really surreal made a pop sound and my leg went from under me ;-(

I did mine playing 5 a side footie but I thought someone kicked me in the heel. He denied it & claimed he heard a pop. I drove home (no idea how I managed that) but the next morning the first thing I said to my wife was you’d best take me to A&E.

Apparently it is a common injury for men in their 40’s whilst playing squash or badmington.

It’s a horrible injury (worse than breaking a bone) as it takes so long to heal. You’ll be in for a shock when they take your cast off as your calf is tiny. Plus it will never regain 100% strength.

I really feel for you as I would absolutely hate to go through it again. Take it easy & don’t try to rush too quickly.

XCstu.

Did mine 9 weeks ago and started walking on it last week.

I had the op and then spent 8 weeks in a maxtrax boot to keep it in position and gradually stretch the thing.

Over the last few weeks ive been progressively stretching it to the point where it’s walkable. The worst thing is the total lack of strength in the calf.

Im teetering around nervously as im scared of it going again. However, the consultant assures me that with the op you are a lot less likely to rerupture.

Worst problem i have is swelling reducing mobility, keep the leg up as much as pos.

Had the london marathon booked and megavalanche. Gutted to say the least.

The consultant who did mine invented some tool or other that is used to make the op simpler and fancied himself as a bit of a guru. He claimed to have a guy back playing hockey after 6 weeks! Also, he said cycling is pretty low stress for the A so that would be available (along with swimming) pretty quickly.

Keep your chin up as a mate who did his 7 months ago was on the pitch and playing the night i did mine (and he didnt have the op) so recovery does come.

Have you got the scar all the way up the calf? Mine is a little inch long nip.

Did mine playing badminton, it’s a bitch of an injury!

Take your time and follow the advice off your physio, swimming’s pretty good when you’re good & ready.

Been a few years now, sometimes a little sore after a long ride or a run and occasionally I notice there’s not as much movement as in the good one. Nothing that bothers me to much though.

Good luck!

mudslinger….only 33 so hopefully recover better than those 40 somethings? and thought the lad I was playing clipped my heal as I went down but was no where near me… quite a loud pop sound!

Lardy_biker…only just got home today so not sure what my scar will look like until they take it off in 2 weeks ;-/

Not looking forward to this year but good to get an idea off you guys 😉 cheers

My next door neighbour is a physio for a couple of football clubs. I was talking to him about it and he was quite reassuring in that over the last 15 years he’d seen quite a few profesional players have quite agressive treatment programmes after operations and be back playing at a profesional level 6 months after an operation. The trick apparently is warming up, stretching, more stretching and warming down when doing any excercise.

We’ll see.

After 9 weeks of no working (self employed) i can heartilly recomend the wire. Excelent series that should take your mind off stuff.

Did mine at a charity 70’s night…..oops….rum meant I did not feel it, and drip resulted in no hangover either.

Took about 6 months before I was confident on my bike – although tried at just over 4 – but was a bit worried about it going pop again – however physio reckoned that gentle cycling was perfect to assist recovery.

Just remember to stretch properly and take it easy initially.

Kelly Holmes recovered from a rupture to win a couple of golds in Athens.

Having said that, Lucas Radebe’s Leeds United career was ended by one 😳

I’m pretty sure I remember reading that Graham Rix, of Chelsea fame, ruptured on a few occasions…ouch!

Sorry Haze – but wasn’t Rix an Arsenal legend? (350 appearances)

XCStu – I have an annoying tendonosis of my left achilles, the thought of rupture scares the hell out of me! Good luck with rehab & do what you’re told!

Yeah sorry, I just associate him with his time at Chelsea.

What Smee said.

Keep your brain stimulated too.

Bummer but been there. Did mine 3 years ago (age 41) right at the start of the winter season. Bindings wanged up right tight in deep pow, ski didn’t release and snapped it in the ski boot.

Took a bit of muscle from the side of my calf and repaired it using that – here in France – within 3 hrs of the accident. Now got a chunky achilles with a big scar and a skinny calf on one side, and a skinny achilles with a toned calf on the other. The tendon is now slightly longer than the other, so I have more flex, but my ballet career is over…muscle wastage is huge too, much more than both times I broke my leg.

Be very careful when you first come out of cast as that is when it is most vulnerable. Eat well and try and avoid the booze – it will make recovery quicker.

I got on the turbo trainer about 2 weeks after the op, but that will depend on the swelling. Spd on the good side and a flat on the other, with a wedge under the cast to level it up. Started very gently then built it up to hour long sessions – nout else to do. I was prescribed loads of physio. At the time it seems futile but movement will come in time. Be patient. Was on the road bike within 3 months but pretty painful clipping in and out, and a fall/heavy dab would have been nasty.

The missus hated it too – i spent all day on bike forums and bought plenty of bike bling.

Good luck. Could be worse. I know of a guy that did both of his at the same time.